176. Sweet Sleep

Proverbs 3:24 NKJV When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.

Sleep is important. Good sleep is vital for our overall health and well-being. That’s why people spend all kinds of money to enhance the quality of their sleep. They buy expensive mattresses, special pillows, the best and softest covers they can afford in order to ensure the best sleep they can get. People even buy machines, consult doctors, and even take medications in their pursuit of ‘sweet sleep’.

Yet no matter how soft, firm, or adjustable ones mattress may be; no matter how cool, fluffy or supportive their pillow is or how soft their sheets are, if worry or fear have a grip on your heart or are terrorizing your thoughts your sleep will be far from sweet. Worry and fear have robbed sleep from God’s people for too long. Too many people have spent the night tossing and turning, staring up at the ceiling while their minds and emotions were plagued by worry and fear. The Lord desires you to have sweet sleep. It is His desire that you lie down in peace, fearless, no matter what may be going on around you.

This is the kind of sleep that Jesus had in Mark 4:38. There was a tempestuous storm going on. All the disciples were afraid for their lives, yet Jesus, was curled up on a pillow having sweet sleep. You can enjoy this kind of sleep every night too.

This promise of sweet sleep is one of a number of wonderful blessings that are listed in Proverbs 3:16-24. The 13th verse tells us to whom this promise of sweet sleep belongs. It says, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding.” This verse tells us that the person who finds wisdom and gains understanding will not only be happy but they will also experience sweet sleep free from fear.

Finding wisdom implies one is looking for it. Diligently looking for wisdom, how to best apply knowledge, and the gaining or increasing in understanding (intelligence, knowledge) yields a peace and calm that allows you to rest peacefully even in the most troubling of times. You see most things that keep people up at night are outside of their control to do anything about. Gaining understanding allows us to see our limitations and options. Wisdom will allow you to see the best way to act on what you know. If there is an action you can take, do it then go to sleep in peace.

We find wisdom and gain understanding in the Word of God. Through His Word we gain understanding of His love for us. We find wisdom regarding giving our lives to Him. In His Word we learn about how to walk through daily life. We learn how to recognize His voice and follow His leading. We learn how He is with us and leading us even in difficult times. The wisdom we find teaches us that we can trust in Him. We can cast our cares upon Him for He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We can pray, asking Him for wisdom of what to do in a situation (James 1:5). We can lay down in peace, because our Shepherd is watching out for us and ever working on our behalf.

Open your Word. Find wisdom. Dig into it and draw out understanding. Jesus was full of wisdom and understanding. He knew the heart of the Father God. You can too. You don’t have to have all wisdom. Proverbs 3:13, 24 simply show us that pursuing wisdom and gaining in understanding, casting our cares upon Him and trusting Him fully, will cause you to have sweet sleep free from all fear.